FAQ - Frequent Asked Questions
Q. History of Mardi Gras
Q. History of Mardi Gras Beads
Q: History of Mardi Gras Doubloons
Q. History of Mardi Gras Parades
Q. History of King Cake
Q: History of Mardi Gras
A. Mardi Gras...the mere mention of these two words convey thoughts of: raucous celebrations, beads flying through the air, ear-to-ear grins plastered on the faces of millions of revelers, and of course floats parading through the streets of New Orleans! While these associations are accurate, this is only taking into account only a small portion of what Mardi Gras stands for and means to millions of people not just in the Bayous and Parishes of Louisiana, but across the world. However, the first Mardi Gras in North America did not even occur under American rule but more appropriately the French. In 1704, France’s King Louis XIV ordered the brothers Iberville and Bienville LeMoyne to sail from France to defend their territories, which include the areas that now represent: Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Upon arriving, the LeMoyne brothers found the mouth of a body of water, now known as the Mississippi River, and sailed upstream for a few miles until they located the perfect place to build a colony and designated the area as: Point du Mardi Gras. From these humble beginnings a proud culture of French ancestors known as the Creole population of the Bayous began and prospered, and each year thousands of people become honorary Creoles during Mardi Gras celebrations held throughout the United States. Mardi Gras, which in French translates to Fat Tuesday, is officially the day before Ash Wednesday. The day is also commonly referred to as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day and can occur anytime between February 3rd and March 9th, depending on when Easter is held that particular year. But as the celebrations in America and across the world have grown larger with each passing year, Mardi Gras, has evolved from one day into week long celebrations. There are other places in the world who take their Mardi Gras celebrations just as seriously, even if they are not as well known or publicized. One of those celebrations is the Rio de Janeiro Carnival that is held in Brazil, each year for two weeks prior to the fasting period in the Christian calendar known as Lent. While Brazil’s Carnival resembles and incorporates many of the similar aspects that define America’s Mardi Gras: great music, tons of delicious and fattening foods, and parades, it is distinctively Brazilian due to the amount of Samba dancing that occurs over the two weeks. Other noteworthy places throughout the world that hold Mardi Gras style parties around the same time as the celebrations are occurring in the United States are: Venice in Italy, Mazatlan in Mexico, and throughout many cities in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Mardi Gras today is about various cultures coming together to celebrate the things that make them unique and uniting under the common theme of being people who like to have fun and enjoy each other and have a great time. Hence the phrase, "Let the Good Times Roll"!
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Q: History of Mardi Gras Beads
A: While Mardi Gras means many things to many people, one item that is incorporated into almost every Mardi Gras celebration is beads of every size, shape, and color. But how did this tradition come to be? And more importantly what do those beads stand for? The bead phenomena is a relatively new one considering that while the first Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans occurred in the 1830s, it wasn't until the Rex parade threw inexpensive handmade glass necklaces sometime in the 1920s that the tradition was born. Since that time the Mardi Gras bead industry has grown larger with each year and the cries of "throw me something, Mister!" that parade goers yell to catch the attention of the floats passing by gets louder along with more creative ideas to secure those precious trinkets. However, many people don't know that the traditional Mardi Gras bead color scheme: purple, green, and gold holds special meaning as well. The Purple, represents justice; the Green symbolizes faith; and the Gold exemplifies power. Though as the celebrations grow larger with each year that passes, beads and necklaces now come in every shape and color imaginable. Also, parade Krewes each year have sought out other trinkets to toss to the crowds, in addition to the beads, to make their parade unique. In recent years Frisbees, plastic cups, and even doubloons all marked with the specific parade Krewes name and logo have been thrown to thousands of Mardi Gras goers. Though one of the more unique and sought-after throws, among Mardi Gras aficionados, is distributed by the Zulu Aid & Pleasure club, which distributes hand-painted coconuts. In recent years the Zulus have needed to pass out the coconuts in bags, rather then throwing them due to safety concerns as they weigh about 11 lbs. each!
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Q: History of Mardi Gras Doubloons
A: The doubloon has been one of Mardi Gras most treasured keepsakes since it was introduced by the Rex Krewe founder, H. Alvin Sharp, in 1964. But when the doubloons were first introduced to the festivities in the 1960s, Sharp didn't know if the idea would go over too well, so he left the date off the coins. This is the only time in the doubloons' parade history that the date has not been engraved making them one of the most sought after and extremely valuable Mardi Gras souvenirs. The Krewes have also decided to call their doubloons other names as well, to better fit the Krewe's base motif. The Pharaohs call their doubloons "Cairo Coins", and still another Krewe calls their coins, "Drachma's". The doubloon is one of the most enduring symbols of Mardi Gras. These highly detailed, brightly-colored coins are thrown from the floats and many have become collector items. Doubloons are stamped with the different carnival club logo on one side and the parade's theme on the other, so that no two clubs have doubloons that are exactly alike, and each year they are different, too. They are minted in various colors, and from different materials, like aluminum, silver, bronze and now plastic. Anodized coins are also thrown. These are coins that have been dipped in color. For example the krewe of Mid City in 1998 had doubloons of purple, green, gold, with the king's doubloon in blue. All told, there are somewhere between four and five thousand designs that have been minted, over the years since and who knows how many million doubloons are out there now. In 2006, after Hurricane Katrina, doubloons soared in popularity. This was because many people who live in New Orleans resell their doubloons to be resold and recycled for the next Mardi Gras season. Once the levees broke, many houses and entire doubloon collections were underwater and did not get back in the resupply chain, therby producing a shortage. Since many Krewes did not parade and people didn't spend the money on throws like in previous years, the resupply was shrunk. Mardi Gras many doubloon vendors, including Mardigrasday.com, sold out of their doubloon inventory weeks before Mardi Gras. Plastic coins became the most popular item replacing doubloons long standing history. Traditional Krewes in New Orleans continue to use the alloy stamped coins and they are more popular now than ever. Doublons are a part of Mardi Gras. Many people have attached happy memories to catching them along the parade route in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
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Q. History of Mardi Gras Parades
A. While beads, costumes, and King Cakes are all great additions to Mardi Gras, the Carnival season wouldn't be where it was today without its famous parades rolling through the streets of New Orleans and in other cities throughout South and all over the world. However, have you ever wondered what was behind the parades: how they got started, what they represent, and when and why they are held? All of the answers to these questions are at the heart of what makes Mardi Gras celebrations so important. Understanding the significance of the Carnival parade history, will enable one to appreciate how Mardi Gras is much more than just a few weeks of excitement and sanctioned debauchery. The first Mardi Gras parade in the United States wasn't even held in New Orleans but in Mobile, Alabama in the early 1700s, when the area was still under French rule. Mobile has the longest tradition associated with Mardi Gras-style parades. However, because the relaxed atmosphere in New Orleans, Mardi Gras has become the largest in Louisiana. Parades in New Orleans have largely outshined its neighboring cities and the world in their size and scope. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, about 60 parades rolled through the streets of New Orleans during the two weeks prior to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. The parades are organized by a membership of like minded people referred to as a Krewe. Typically one must be invited to join a Krewe, with the acceptance of their application going before a membership review board. While each parade is unique to the particular traditions of each Krewe, they all share a few commonalities that bind them together. First, every parade will elect a King or Queen. These individuals are picked from the respective Krewe membership. Though in recent years as the parades have gotten larger various celebrities have been bestowed the honor of being the parade's Grand Marshall. And of course each parade must have floats. The floats are designed around that Krewe's particular theme for the year and often poke fun at certain cultural events. For instance, in 2006 many of the Krewe's floats reflected the feelings of many in the area that the U.S. government's relief efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina were too slow to arrive. Float design and decoration takes thousands of hours of preparation and work. The float preparations literally begin a few weeks after Mardi Gras for the next season. The parade's respective Krewe members get the honor of riding the floats, and they get to toss beads, doubloons and trinkets over the course of the parade's route. The trinkets usually bear the Krewe's emblem and the particular parade's theme and date. And finally, any parade in the Crescent City wouldn't be complete without music! The responsibility of providing a musical soundtrack for the fun falls to local high-school marching bands, and local jazz bands, In addition to the bands, there are usually several local dance schools, which perform routines while marching. Flag drills, clap sequences, dance routines and marching steps along with colorful costumes make parade watching in New Orleans a fun activity. Masked riders on horses will also fill in between the floats.
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Q. History of King Cake
A. The King Cake is one of the most important items associated with Mardi Gras celebrations, both in the city and wherever Mardi Gras parties are held, that most Mardi Gras rookies will overlook in their preparations. This is a shame since the King Cake is one of the most delicious and culturally significant items that have been associated with Mardi Gras celebrations from the very beginning. A traditional King Cake is traditionally an oblong or oval shaped cinnamon dough cake, glazed with frosting and sprinkled with colored sugar. What colors you ask? Purple, Green, and Gold, of course! King Cakes are available in all sorts of colors and flavored fillings such as cream cheese, strawberry, and apple. But unlike other ordinary cakes the fun with a King Cake isn’t simply limited to its taste. Hidden on the underside (after baking) of each King Cake is a small plastic figurine in the shape of a baby. Whoever finds the baby is officially the King or Queen of the party and gets the honor of supplying the next King Cake or throwing the next Mardi Gras Party. A few Superkrewes in New Orleans, the ones who organize the larger parades, even use the King Cake as determining who will be their King or Queen for that year’s float based on who finds the baby. In New Orleans slang, it is referred to as “Who got da baby?” The King Cake season officially opens on King's Day, January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. Many people in the New Orleans area will start having King Cake parties in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras. It is not uncommon for offices and schools in Louisiana to have King Cake on a nearly daily basis. Many people attach such cultural significance and importance to the King Cake that it is regarded as just as an important tradition as the Mardi Gras parades. This was especially the case in 2006, the first Mardi Gras season following Hurricane Katrina, as the bakeries in Louisiana were flooded with King Cake orders from both within and outside of the state. Having lost so much in the hurricane but not willing to sacrifice tradition many displaced Louisianans turned to the King Cake to give them that taste of home.